


Keep Calm - It's Just The Chickenpox (And Love)

by Miffy



Series: Blue Skies Are Coming [3]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Katniss is being an oblivious idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 16:17:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6914386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miffy/pseuds/Miffy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss gets the chickenpox, but luckily she can count on Peeta to keep her company and nurse her back to health.<br/>Because that’s what totally platonic friends do, right?</p><p>Madge disagrees about the platonic part.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep Calm - It's Just The Chickenpox (And Love)

**Author's Note:**

> And here's another one, hope you're all enjoying/appreciating the blisters on my fingers ;) 
> 
> Apologies for any mistakes, but I hope you enjoy :)

 

 

Katniss loves being a teacher, she really does. She loves to inspire her students to do their best, not only in school, but also in life, and to make a connection with them.

Not to mention that she teaches her favourite subject – chemistry. Her students love it too, picking up on her own enthusiasm, they finally get to do something with their hands and (sometimes) blow something up, instead of listening to a teacher tell them about erosion or something.

It really is fun to help them create a chemical concoction and see if they succeeded in doing so. And once in a blue moon, Katniss has the pleasure to teach a student with actual talent for the subject.

But on this day, Katniss curses every one of them, after discovering that her entire body is covered with little red dots.

An hour later Katniss’ doctor arrives and confirms what she already knows. She has the _fucking chickenpox…_ Prim, her sister (and her doctor), gives Katniss some lotion and tells her she needs to stay home for a week.

‘Thanks Little Duck’ Katniss tells her when they say goodbye.

‘Take care Kat' Primrose says when she walks towards her car. ‘I love you’

'I love you too' Katniss says, before closing her frontdoor.

Katniss' first instinct is to crawl up in bed and keep herself dehydrated, but even getting herself a glass of water is too much of a challenge because of the fever. Not to mention that the itch is driving her insane.

She needs some help in taking care of herself, and more importantly, of Coffee, her dog, but her parents are gone for the weekend, Prim's off to work a double shift in the hospital, and Gale hasn’t had the chickenpox himself, so he can’t come either. Annie and Finnick weren’t an option either, because they were trying to get pregnant, and Madge is in Vancouver for work. Of course, there’s Peeta, but Katniss wasn’t going to bother him now that his thesis was due in a few short weeks. Which means that she’s all on her own..

Katniss was cursing all of her students, because one of those (lovely) suckers had brought the virus into her classroom, when she hears the doorbell ring.

Coffee, her beagle, excitedly makes her way towards Katniss' front door, and when that happens, it can only mean one thing. Peeta’s on the other side.

Katniss rescued Coffee from the shelter, so her dog has major trust issues and wasn’t very fond of people, but for some unknown reason, Coffee really likes Peeta.

‘Peeta, go away!’ Katniss yells from behind her closed front door. ‘I have the chickenpox, it’s highly contagious’

‘I already had it as a kid, so I’m immune now’ she hears Peeta say. ‘Open the door Kat, I brought you ice-cream, some fruit and lotion’

_My hero._

‘You really didn’t have to do this’ Katniss says when the two of them plant themselves in front of her TV. ‘How’d you even know? I didn’t want to bother you with your thesis and everything..’

Coffee puts her head on Peeta’s lap and he rubs her ears. ‘It’s no problem Katniss, really. And Prim texted me’ he shrugs, and she’s not surprised. Peeta is a caretaker by nature and one of her favourite people, but with his thesis deadline coming up, she wouldn’t have blamed him if he would’ve left her to her own devises.

But he hadn’t, of course he hadn’t, and Katniss loves him for it.

They watch some Netflix and just enjoy each other’s company. Katniss doesn’t notice that they keep moving closer to each other on her couch, until Peeta starts to laugh and the deep, full sound is closer to her ear than she would’ve expected it to be.

She looks up at him and finds that his eyes are already trained on her. His blues are filled with mischief and he chuckles when she asks him ‘What?’

Katniss is eating the ice-cream Peeta brought her, but it’s a difficult task because of the gloves she’s wearing so she can’t scratch herself. Her cheeks are covered in the Chunky Monkey and she uses the gloves to clean her face.

‘So sexy’ Peeta jokes good-naturedly. 

‘Shut up’ Katniss says, cheeks heating up. She tells herself it’s because of the fever, it has absolutely nothing to do with the way Peeta’s looking at her right now.

‘No, I’m not kidding. You look so sexy in your pyjama’s, covered in red marks and ice-cream. It would turn everyone on’ he says laughingly.

‘Fuck off’ Katniss is too sick to ward off his witty comments with any of her own. ‘Stop making fun of me, I could die. The chickenpox is a very dangerous decease for adults!’

‘You could die’ he repeats for his own amusement, still laughing at her expense. ‘You’ll be sick for a couple of days and then you’ll be fine’ he assures her soothingly.

‘Okay, but I still feel awful, so please stop nagging me’ Katniss says, unable to suppress a yawn.

‘I wasn’t nagging you – you look stunning’ Peeta smirks and Katniss jams her elbow in his ribs, making him laugh again.

‘Coffee, attack!’ she orders, but her dog just looks at her with her big brown eyes and then turns back to ignoring her owner, preferring to lovingly stare at Peeta. _Traitor…  
_ Peeta thinks it's hilarious, of course.

 

**♣♣♣♣♣**

 

Peeta covers her back in lotion and makes her cups of tea. They watch another movie together and when Katniss needs to go to the bathroom, he helps her take off her filthy gloves. After dinner, a sandwich for him and an apple for her, he takes Coffee out for her walk.

At ten o’clock Peeta helps her get in bed and he even checks if she has enough lotion on her nightstand.

‘How on earth are you still single?’ Katniss says, thinking aloud. ‘You’d be such a good boyfriend’

Peeta’s cheeks turn pink and Katniss is immediately aware of the tension hanging in between them. She acts like she’s half asleep, not knowing why he suddenly became so quiet.

‘Sweet dreams, Kat’ he whispers.

Katniss closed her eyes, but she can feel Peeta staring at her for a few seconds more, before he closes her bedroom door behind him.

_What was that about?_

 

* * *

 

 

Peeta stays for the night and the next morning Katniss finds him in her kitchen making some breakfast.

‘I wanted to bring you some breakfast in bed’ he says, disappointed, when he sees her. ‘Do you feel any better?’ he asks.

‘I do’ she says smiling. ‘Thanks so much for everything Peet. I really owe you one’

‘You really don’t Kat. You would’ve done the same for me’

‘True’ she smiles at him, and he smiles back. ‘What are we having?’

‘Well considering you’re still feverish and have nothing in your fridge – toast, fruit and some coffee’ he grins, and his smile is so bright, it makes her stomach flip. It doesn’t surprise her, that’s her stomach’s automatic reaction nowadays. It’s just as natural as the need to blink when you stare directly at the sun.

‘Perfect’ she says, to break their little staring contest, one that feels too much like A Moment, and she grabs two plates.

During breakfast they talk about Peeta’s thesis and the new season of Game of Thrones. It’s so easy between them, just like every other time they’re together.

In a way, it surprises Peeta. She only shares a bond as easy and strong, like hers and Peeta’s is, with one other person, and that’s Prim. But she and her sister have known each other their entire lives (well, Prim's life), unlike Peeta, who she has only known for about three years. Even with Madge and Annie, who she’s both been friends with longer, it’s not as strong as with Peeta.

He leaves after breakfast, when he’s convinced that she'll be okay on her own. Katniss wishes him good luck with his studies and Peeta promises he’ll call her later that night.

Coffee already misses him before the front door closes behind him.

Katniss does too.

 

* * *

 

 

A week later, when Katniss is all better and Madge is back from Vancouver, Katniss comes over for a girls night after walking Coffee.

‘Too bad Ann can’t join us’ Katniss says, taking a gulp of her wine. The two of them are lounging on Madge’s couch, feet in each other’s lap and wine and chocolate next to them on the floor.

‘Please, that girl is having way more fun with her husband than she would’ve with us’ Madge smirks and Katniss laughs, before accepting some of the dark chocolate Madge is handing her.

‘Yeah, I guess trying to make a baby is more fun than getting drunk on wine and waking up with a hangover’

‘Even when it’s with us’

‘But it’s a close call’ Katniss smiles and Madge agrees. ‘Do you think you’ll ever have kids?’ Katniss asks when they’re both a bit tipsy.

Madge shrugs. ‘I hope so. If I meet someone who I want to have that adventure with. What about you?’

‘Same’ Katniss answers and she refills their wineglasses with Merlot. ‘And I haven’t met that person yet, so I’m just going to keep on bothering my students and Coffee. But I’m not in a hurry. _What_?’ she asks, confused, when she notices Madge giving her a look.   

‘You sure you haven’t met that person yet?’ Madge asks with a knowing smirk. But what Madge thinks she knows is still a mystery to Katniss.

‘Uhm… Yes?’ she’s still confused.

Madge laughs. ‘That shouldn’t be followed with a question mark, babe. That should be a very loud statement’

Katniss grins, head clouded by the wine. ‘You want me to yell it?’

‘That won’t be necessary babe. I heard you, I just don’t believe you’ Madge’s intense icy blue eyes bore into Katniss her grey ones and Katniss remains as clueless as ever.

‘Are you a psychic? Do you know who I’m going to spend the rest of my days with? Because I don’t, and I don’t like it if you’re keeping that info from me’ Katniss jokes, hoping it will spur Madge on to get to her point.

‘No one needs to be psychic to figure that one out’ Madge says amused, but still rolling her eyes at Katniss. ‘Everyone can see you’re head over heels for Peeta and you want to have his babies’

Katniss chokes on her wine and starts to cough loudly. ‘What. The. Fuck?!’ she manages to yell between gasps for air. ‘What the fuck are you talking about?!’ she demands, when her she’s regained her breath, and Madge bursts out in laughter.

‘Jesus, how oblivious can someone be?’ Madge says to herself, crying with laughter, and Katniss glares at her. ‘Relax babe, he feels the same way as you do’

‘Good, because that means only _platonic_ feelings—‘

‘Stop lying’ Madge interrupts her. ‘You look at the guy with hearts in your silver doe eyes and Peeta looks at you like you hung the freaking moon. It’s both adorable and sickening’ Madge lets out a burp and swallows a mouth full of chocolate before she continues. ‘All of us have a bet going on when the two of you are going to get together’

‘Who’s “all of us”?’ Katniss demands, a little mortified.

‘Ann, Finnick, Gale-

‘Gale?!’ she yells surprised. _That traitor.._

‘He’s not blind babe. Delly and Thom are in on it too. Johanna as well, and of course, yours truly’ Madge winks at her.

‘Let me guess, you bet it would be sometime soon, so you need me to jump his bones so you can win’ she glares at her friend and Madge responds by rolling her eyes at her.

‘Honestly, I don’t care about the money. You’re my best friend and I want you to happy, so I’m gonna give you some awesome advice’

‘Stupid advise’ Katniss grumbles, but she gets ignored and before Madge can give her the “awesome” advice, Katniss asks her friend where everyone got the idea that she’s into Peeta and vice versa.

‘Because we’re not blind. Or stupid’ Madge says amused. ‘I already told you about the heart eyes you make at each other. But there’s also the fact that both of you haven’t dated anyone in a while. Or seem interested in doing so’

‘So? That proves nothing!’ Katniss says heatedly. ‘We’re both way too busy to go on a date. And I just haven’t met anyone lately I wanted to go out with’ she waves Madge’s supposed arguments away and ignores the comment about the heart eyes by downing her drink.

‘And he took care of you last week, when you had the chickenpox’ Madge brings up.

‘That’s just who he is. Peeta always takes care of us, it’s in his nature’ Katniss objects, slurring slightly.

‘Yeah, but it’s not like he didn’t have better things to do. And he even stayed the night! When Thom had his appendix removed, he didn’t stay to make him breakfast’ Madge  raises an eyebrow at her, all smugness, and Katniss realises she’s blushing. _It’s because of the wine, dammit!_ ‘And your stupid dog from hell _really_ likes Peeta. That’s got to tell you something’

‘That tells me nothing’ Katniss stubbornly insists. ‘And don’t call Coffee a dog from hell. She’s very sweet’

‘No, she isn’t. She destroyed my favourite shoes when I came over, always growls and barks at everyone.. She even peed on Annie!’

‘Maybe she just doesn’t like your perfume’ Katniss tries.

Madge rolls her eyes. ‘I don’t wear any’

‘Well, maybe that’s the problem’ she jokes and Madge kicks Katniss' upper thigh with her foot. ‘Ouch!’

‘Okay, where’s my phone?’ Madge sighs. ‘We all swore we’d never tell you two about this, but necessity knows no law and you’re being fucking annoying’ Madge retrieves her phone from under one of the couch cushions and unlocks the screen.

Madge gives Katniss her cell after a moment and it shows Katniis a blurry photo of herself with Peeta. Katniss recognises it as one taken a few weeks prior at ‘The Mockingbird’, the bar they frequently hang out with their gang. They’re sitting very close to each other, Peeta has his arm resting on the booth above her shoulders and they’re smiling at each other. Well not really smiling, Katniss is beaming up at him and Peeta’s expression is so soft, it makes her heart skip a beat.

‘What the fuck Madge?’ Katniss gasps.

‘Finnick took it!’ Madge immediately says, a little offended. ‘I’m not that much of a perv’

‘What the hell is this?’ she asks, when she exits the photo and finds herself in a group chat. ‘Is this a _group chat_? What the hell is a “Everlark”?’ she asks when she notices the chat’s name. Katniss gasps when she realises it. ‘Is that our _ship name_?!’

‘Yup. Congrats girl, you’re like a celebrity couple’ Madge winks.

‘I’m neither!’ Katniss yells. ‘I’m not a celebrity and I’m not part of a couple!’

‘Katniss’ Madge calmly begins. ‘Relax, it was just a joke. But did you see how you two look at each other?’

Katniss can’t deny what she saw on the picture. ‘Yes..’

‘Next to me, Gale and Peeta are your best friends, right?’ Madge continues.

‘Yeah, so?’

‘Can you honestly say you feel the same way about Gale as you do about Peeta?’ Madge asks.

Katniss takes a moment to think, but she doesn’t really need one. The answer to that question is as easy as the solution to one plus one is. Because she doesn’t feel the same way about Gale and Peeta. She loves them both, can’t imagine her world without either one of them and the friendships she has with the two guys mean everything to her. But there are differences. Gale doesn’t make her blush, he doesn’t make her stomach flip or makes her heart do something funny.

But Peeta does, and those differences aren’t small ones, they are _everything_.

When Gale goes home with a cute girl, she cheers him on. When Peeta does, she gets drunk and finds a hot guy she can hook-up with. When both Peeta and Katniss stay at the bar all night, and that happened a lot lately, she has the best time and they get drunk _together_.

She’s an idiot.

‘I’m an idiot’ Katniss slurs miserably.

‘Finally’ Madge sighs like all of the weight of the world got lifted of her shoulders. ‘So, what are you going to do about it?’

 

* * *

 

 

‘God, you look pale. How long has the sun missed out on you?’ Katniss teases when Peeta comes over a couple of days later to take a walk with her and Coffee.

Peeta’s pretty much holed up in his room 24/7 now, so Katniss thought it would be a good idea for him to get some fresh air and exercise in the form of a stroll around the park. With her and her beagle. The duck pond is also the perfect setting to tell Peeta about her newly discovered, but undying, love.

‘Still more tanned than you are Kat’ Peeta teases back and Katniss laughs.

They walk arm in arm, with Coffee a few feet in front of them, and Katniss smiles to herself. She cannot imagine having something so natural, so perfect, with anyone but Peeta. She really has been a fool.

‘It has come to my attention that our friends are jerks’ Katniss says after a while.

‘Took you long enough to figure that one out’ Peeta jokes.

‘It’s not my fault we’re not all as smart as you are, nerd’ she shoots back, lacking heat just as much as he had a moment ago, and he chuckles.

‘But do tell what finally made you realise that’ Peeta spurs her on, apparently very curious.

‘Well, Madge admitted that our friends are in a group chat called Everlark – our ship name, don’t ask – and that they have a bet going on when the two of us are going to get together’

Peeta seems to choke on what appears to be air and he starts to blush furiously. Before he can comment on the information he just received, Katniss makes them sit down on a bench and Coffee puts her head on Katniss her lap.

‘Did you know?’ Katniss asks while she massages Coffee’s scalp and Peeta has resumed a normal breathing pattern.

‘No, I didn’t know’ Peeta says in a soft voice and his cheeks still haven’t lost its redness.

Katniss tries to read him, but he stubbornly stares off into the distance, avoiding her eyes. ‘So, I learned that our friends are overinvested weirdos who desperately need a hobby’ she begins and Peeta chuckles, but it sounds hollow to Katniss' ears. ‘But more importantly, I figured out I’m in love with you’

Peeta turns his head around so quickly, she’s afraid he’ll get a whiplash. ‘What?’ he asks, surprised.

‘Yes, sickening really’ she assures him and her hand finds its way around the back of his neck, so she can pull him down for a kiss. Peeta’s eyes have darkened and his tongue licks his parted lips. ‘Are you going to let me do all the work or-‘

Peeta’s answer comes in the form of his lips crashing onto hers, his hands travelling over her clothes, pulling her closer and his tongue entering her mouth. Kissing him has been all she could think about the last couple of days (longer, if she’s being honest) and those thoughts definitely have made her job a lot harder to do. But it was worth the wait, because this is more wonderful and sweeter than she dreamed it would be.

When they pull apart, Peeta grins at her and her stomach does that flip again. ‘I’m in love with you too’ he smiles.

‘I suspected it, but the confirmation is nice’ Katniss says and she gives him a peck.

‘So, Madge helped you figure it out?’

‘She pulled my head out my ass, yes’ Katniss agrees.

‘Well, I didn’t need help for that one’ he smirks. ‘I realised my feelings for you all on my own’

‘I keep telling you, you’re a smart nerd’ she grins. ‘But when did you?’

‘Last July’ he answers.

‘You were still dating Clove then’ Katniss notes.

‘That’s why we broke up..’ he admits.

‘Ouch.. Well that sucks..’ Katniss says, feeling a bit awkward.

‘Believe me when I say that Clove wasn’t very devastated when I called things off’ he says, trying to comfort her. ‘And she’s actually happily dating someone else already’

‘Good, because I liked her’ Katniss can’t help but feel a bit relieved that she hasn’t brought Clove a crap load of misery.

‘No more than you like me, I hope’ Peeta smiles.

‘Definitely not’ she kisses him again and they make out for a while on that park bench.

They decide to go back to Katniss her home when their kissing becomes a bit too heated for a children’s park. Walking hand in hand they walk pass the duck pond because Katniss still hasn’t gotten the chance to see the birds.

‘That one’s cute’ Katniss comments, pointing at a fluffy baby duck. Peeta agrees, Coffee doesn’t. She hates ducks. ‘If it follows us home, we can keep it and call it Choco’

‘What if it hates food?’ Peeta wonders.

‘My name is _Katniss_ , yours is _Peeta_ and Coffee's named _Coffee_ ’ she points out, dry. ‘She’ll get over it’

Peeta chuckles and kisses Katniss' brow, before they continue their way home. Coffee seems to be relieved that the duck doesn’t follow them home, Peeta’s really happy he finally got the girl and Katniss is excited that her boyfriend is staying the night.

It’s a good night for all three of them, but especially for the latter.

 

* * *

 

 

A few days later, Katniss announces to Peeta, who’s working on his thesis at her place again, that she’s going to tell their friends that they’re a couple.

‘We’ve kept them in the dark long enough’ he agrees with a smile and she sits down on his lap.

Katniss sends a text to the group chat she shares with Peeta, Madge, Annie, Finnick, Delly, Thom, Gale and Johanna, saying that she and Peeta are dating.

 

**Delly 10:03am:** _OMG EVERLARK HAPPENED GUYS!! :D  
_

_Let the record show I gave that name life_

**YOU 10:03am:** _That’s not something to b proud of Dell  
_

_We prefer Katniss & Peeta tyvm_

**Delly 10:04am:** _That’s too long_

**Thom 10:04am:** _Who won the bet?_

**Annie 10:05am:** _Really happy for u guys! (:_

_I did!!!! :D_

**Johanna 10:05am:** _Fucking finally_

**Madge 10:05am:** _All thanks to meeeeeee :D_

**Finnick 10:06am:** _Finally indeed.._

_The sexual tension between the 2 of u is sickening and needed to be resloved asap_

**Madge 10:06am:** _@ Finn hahaaa... xd_

**Johanna10:07am:** _Fuking true Finn..._

_so gross..._

**Gale 10:07am:** _Congrats K &P_

_And Annie – drinks are on u next Saturday!_

**YOU 10:07am:** _You guys and girls can n_ _ow go find a hobby_

_A real one_

_Like boxing or playing an instrument_

_Esp u Finnick, Jesus..._

**Peeta♡♡ 10:08am:** _But we appreciate the support and meddling_

 

Katniss puts down her phone to smile lovingly at her boyfriend. ‘We really do’ she smiles and she gives him a kiss. One that he responds to with much love and enthusiasm.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want more fluffly one-shot goodness, check out the series :) I'll be adding more fics like these there :)
> 
> I hope you'll let me know if you liked, comments/kudos make my day!!❤️ :) xx


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